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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Can evil be beaten?  Yes, prayer and understanding that it’s just trying to mess with your head, and your faith, evil can be beaten.  Ms. Wright is clear about that as she brings us into a haunting, somewhat spooky word of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater. Not for the faint of heart despite the lack of gruesomeness, and was a book I read in short spurts as I like suspenseful books, but some are meant to be taken in short bits.  🙂 

The Basic Details

Title: The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater
Author: Jaime Jo Wright
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 384
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Christian fiction, Christian Mystery Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Nuts About Books

The Author:

I thought I recognized the author!   Jaime Jo Wright also wrote The Souls of Lost Lake!  I remember that book as a somewhat compelling read.  And again, we have a book that jumps from the past to the present.  This makes it one that wouldn’t work for me as an audiobook and where I have to pay attention to the headings!   

Anyways, what can I tell you about Jaime Jo Wright?  She loves coffee, cats, and gothic horror! She is a multi-award-winning author, with numerous bestsellers under her belt.  Her writing style will keep you at the edge of your seat, while reminding you about God himself. 

The Novel:

Running in two timelines, with missing boys in both.  Two women trying to solve the mystery of the missing boys and wanting the evil of the theater to stop.  Good men help them, and some romantic interests are shown, but isn’t primary to the storyline.   Greta in 1915 and Kit in present times.

Two Mysteries, yet related

Barlowe Theater haunts the town Kippers Grove.  Two women, in separate timelines, are determined to help the boys lost and to keep it from happening again.  Will they succeed in this suspense filled mystery?

You’ll find cliff-hangers, and some giveaways as you move from the present back to the past.  You’ll have to deal with the supernatural and have to fight to see what is true.  Kinda like real life eh?  Will be fooled by the devil’s wiles or see the truth hiding behind?

The writing is clear and easy to read, the story compelling.  Each of the ladies have struggles they need to deal with such as poverty and adoption as they work to solve the mystery.  I’m not going to give the story away, but do know the mystery IS solved.  It’s important to know that when reading a suspenseful book. 

If this sort of read is your cup of tea, pick it up!  You’ll be on your edge of the seat throughout!

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Lost and Found through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Do you like Amish literature?  Like seeing that sense of community and faith in God?  Suzanne Woods Fischer has put together a nice romantic novel that is more thought-provoking than it is focused on romance.  You will find themes of mental illness, forgiveness, following God’s leading, grief, and spiritual growth.  The undercurrent through it all is Micah and Trudy, with things to learn before they can really see each other.  If you love bird-watching you’ll have the added joy of reading through bird watching journal entries! 

The Basic Details for Lost and Found

Title: Lost and Found
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 320
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Christian fiction, Contemporary Christian fiction, mental health, Amish, Contemporary Christian Fiction, Amish Romance, Amish and Mennonite fiction,
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Nuts About Books

The Author:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a prolific author, Lost and Found is just one in a long set of series about the Amish. She has written in several genres, such as historical fiction, contemporary, women’s romance, and children.  Ms. Fisher has written for years, starting with magazines, and then moving on to romance and non-fiction.  Mother, author, and person of faith, she spent some time living in Hong Kong but currently lives in California. 

The Story:

Trudy Yoder shares a passion for birding with Micah Weaver–and she has an even greater passion for Micah. Their friendship is finally turning romantic when Micah abruptly grows cold. Worse still, he wants to leave Stoney Ridge.

Micah Weaver thought he was over Trudy’s older sister. A year and a half ago, Shelley had broken his heart when she ran away from Stoney Ridge to pursue a singing career in Nashville…….

When the bishop asks for volunteers to scout out a possible church relocation in Tennessee, Micah is the first to raise his hand. Despite scant details, he’s confident he can find Shelley.

Looking Deeper

At first I thought this was going to be another sappy Christian romance but I WAS WRONG.  Is it a romance?  YES.  Is there some sappiness to it?   For sure!  (It wouldn’t be billed as a romance otherwise would it!?!!)  But this is more of a story of two young people needing to mature into themselves AND as they mature to being able to see what they must. 

Micah needed to see the truth of old love, his own competency, and how to stand for what is real and important.   Trudy needed to stand up for herself and not let family tragedy stop forward progress. As they learned these things, they became “better suited” to each other.

Their maturity and dealing with mental health issues were more important stories and I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that.  It makes the romance part of it seem more realistic to me.  🙂 

Since Micah and Trudy are avid bird-watchers I thought Ms. Fisher did an excellent job of adding in these bird-watching journal entries. It was kinda fun reading about the common loon, gray catbird, bobolink, and others. 

Though I enjoyed that the primary focus wasn’t on the romantic feelings betwixt Micah and Trudy I can’t really say that I enjoyed the read.  I enjoyed the bird journal entries, and overall the story was good, but the characters were “off”.  The old man who yelled all the time really threw me off and the laughter/joking about fainting goats.  It just sat wrong for me.  

BUT I loved the growth seen in both Micah and Trudy and learning about why an Amish community might up and leave.  Seeing the Amish community (in the form of Trudy) doing what she could to save the larger community around her.  Those elements were fantastic and I’m so glad Ms. Fisher focused on the bigger picture.  Simply wonderful that. 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for On Moonberry Lake through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Walk into a touch of mystery, the love of family, the burgeoning friendships, and the small town attitude of On Moonberry Lake.  A story for women about women, their uniqueness, and how quickly they can respond to emergencies, and a few good men at their side.   Holly Varni has written a heart-warming story that makes for a perfect weekend read. 

The Basic Details for On Moonberry Lake

Title: On Moonberry Lake
Author: Holly Varni
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Series: Moonberry Lake
Pages: 336
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Christian fiction, family life fiction, Contemporary Christian fiction, Christian romance, small town fiction, contemporary romance
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback

Author Notes:

Growing up in Nebraska, but now living in California with her professor hubby, Holly Varni writes stories about Moonberry Lake. She wants to give readers characters they can connect with, admire, laugh at, and most of all love.  She raises up boys and works in hospice (where she gets to listen to life stories).

Book Notes: 

Cora Matthews’s life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever “normal” is.   Perhaps she can find the answers if she returns to the family home on Moonberry Lake. 

A host of eccentric neighbours, and the job of rebuilding the family lodge, give Cora the time she needs to let go of her past and build toward her future. 

My Thoughts

I loved the eccentricity and heart in Cora’s neighbours.   I found some of the small-townishness perhaps a bit overplayed, but interesting folks.   The other day at work I noted that we all have our own uniqueness’s and the best we can do is embrace them in ourselves and others.   So it is for the folks on Moonberry Lake.  Almost everyone has heart for their neighbours, makes mistakes, some have faith in God, and they all pull together when things are hard.   Is everything all roses?   Certainly not.  Conflict between people, hurt and misunderstanding, dangerous events, and what not.  They happen.  And sometimes in a story it feels a bit far-fetched.  Like are there SO many eccentric people living in this small-town?  Does a tornado have to happen to destroy all Cora and Widgy’s hard work?   

But the point of the story is to tell an engaging story with characters that draw you in and make you love them.  Even Mr. Wells with all his struggles was a character you just want to wrap your arms around and hold close.  It’s a fun weekend read.   Is there romance in it?  YES.  And the whole “instant connection” thing drove me crazy as always, but it ended up not being central to the whole story.  AND I LOVE THAT!  Don’t you too?   When a story has more depth than the romance between two people.

Go on, get On Moonberry Lake and enjoy a light christian romance with a feel-good vibe.